Do I Need A Permit For A Garden Shed

Room, Shelf, Furniture, Interior design, Shelving, Bathroom, Kitchen, Building, Floor, Countertop,

Elfa storage system, £726, configuration as shown, A Place For Everything

Rethinking how you use your shed, garden and garage storage will mean gaining extra space and reducing clutter inside the house.

The key to organising your shed, garage and garden space is to define areas, or zones, for the different activities that take place there, says Cherry Rudge of Rainbow Red. 'For example, you could establish a zone for potting, one for sports equipment and another for storing decorating items to make it easier to find things,' she explains. 'You could draw up a map showing how the zones are divided up, and keep one copy on the wall or door of the shed/garage, and another in a safe place in the house.

'That way you can refer to it before venturing out to the shed or garage and will know exactly where to look for what you need – and where to replace items you've used.'

TOP TABLE

Shelf, Room, Furniture, Table, Interior design, Shelving, House, Home, Floor, Kitchen,

Aldsworth Potting Table, £300, Garden Trading - www.gardentrading.co.uk

A potting table with extra drawers and shelf below adds extra storage and helps to keep pots and seeds together.

NEAT IDEA

Shelf, Shelving, Wall, Glass, Flowerpot, Drinkware, Houseplant, Transparent material, Interior design, Collection,

Wooden box unit, £140, Cox & Cox - www.coxandcox.co.uk

It's often hard to store smaller bits and pieces in an organised way, but this shelf unit with labelled compartments looks neat.

DECLUTTERING TIPS

Declutter the shed or garage on a sunny, dry day, so you can lay out the contents in the garden or on the drive and sort through them.

Be ruthless in clearing out old bits of wood and cans of paint. Once opened, paint will only keep if the tin is sealed tightly. 'If it's lived in your shed for years it's probably no good,' says Rachel Papworth of Green and Tidy.

Clean garden furniture and barbecues before putting them away to avoid rust and mould growth, and invest in plastic covers that prevent damp and cold from damaging them.

Small containers, ideally with dividers, (£5.99, Amazon) are good for storing small, fiddly items such as screws.

Think vertically with your garage and shed storage, says Cherry. 'Use the walls and even the ceiling or rafters rather than floor space,' she says. 'Just make sure everything is safely secured!' A piece of lattice trellising with S-shaped hooks hung on the back of a door makes a useful storage rack.

Bigger items you won't need immediately should always go at the back, and store potentially harmful products and sharp implements on high shelves that children can't reach.

Sort through the contents of boxes before replacing them so unwanted items aren't taking up space.

Dispose of garden and DIY items that are broken or you no longer need at the local civic amenity site; contact your local council or visit direct.gov.uk for details.

Unwanted tools can be donated to charity. Tools for Self-Reliance, and Tools With a Mission both collect in the UK and send to people in the developing world. If you have lots of plastic plant pots offer them to residential homes as gardeners often work with older people, or disabled adults and children, and need supplies.

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